British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 838

CHAPTER XIX.

41. Carbohydrates supplied some 70% of the total energy in 1942 iu the case of Arabs, and from 60% to 65% in the case of Jews. There was a fall in the percentage of carbohydrate consumption by all groups in 1943, probably due to increased black market buying of other food stuffs by persons rising into higher income groups, the energy content of the diets as a whole rising above 1942 levels for the groups concerned.

42. In the case of fats, vegetable sources were mainly relied upon by all sections of the community, these being normally one of the cheapest and most available forms of food for the majority.

The following food expenditure groups showed a satisfactory total fat consumption.

Arabs

Oriental Jews European Jews

1942 £P,

2 - 2! 11--2 11-2

1943 £P.

2 - 2t it-11 If- 2

Animal fat consumption in 1943 was less than 10 g. per head per day in food expenditure groups below the £P.2 1/4-.2 1/2 class, a fact which has a serious influence upon Vitamin A intake.

43. Total protein intake was satisfactory in all groups except the lowest food expenditure categories, but only in the highest group was the 25 g. standard for animal protein approached by either Arabs or Jews. This was probably the normal pre-war position in the social levels concerned, the bulk of local protein sources being cereals. Milk consumption was on a small scale throughout, though nearly half of the Jewish school children (about 30,000) received milk in one form or another daily in school feeding schemes. Government feeding schemes now provide milk powder or condensed milk for Arab infants in the main urban areas, while efforts are being made on an increasing scale to provide milk in the diets supplied under feeding schemes for Arab children of school and pre-school age.

44. Calcium intake was inadequate in all food expenditure groups except the highest. Phosphorus appears to be consumed in adequate quantities, but as the bulk of the intake comes from cereals there may be defective utilisation of this relatively less "available" form of phosphorus compound. Bad teeth are extremely common in all sections of the local population. Iron inadequacy was little in evidence, and the impression was gained that nutritional anaemia was not common.

45. The following is a summary of the vitamin position.
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